The recent seizures of an Iraqi oil tanker and a UK flagged ship by Iranian authorities have further increased tensions in the Gulf following earlier attacks on tankers in Fujairah and the Gulf of Oman. But what are the contractual implications for ships operating in the area?

On 14 May 2020, the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury, and the U.S. Coast Guard, issued a global advisory to alert multiple industry sectors, including the maritime industry, to deceptive shipping practices used to evade sanctions imposed on Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

After the killing of General Qassem Soleimani by a US drone in early January 2020, and the following retaliation by Iran, BIMCO is publishing its view of the escalated tension in the Persian Gulf, as well as advice regarding the new sanctions clauses, and encourages owners, operators and charterers to follow the operational and contractual guidance set out in this article.

Starting a trade war is bad for everyone, and shipping is right in the eye of the storm. Adding a new sanctions regime involving the US and Iran is putting another layer of stress on a shipping industry that is struggling to generate profits. Not surprisingly, the IMF’s estimate for world trade volumes was adjusted downwards for both 2018 and 2019 in July.